What I did today 2012-2014

[sammy_roser]

Sowed some chili, leek, strawberry, cauliflower and flower seeds. Planted out some bulbs. Feels good to get some gardening done that will end up in pretty and edible things!

[Penellype]

My strawberry plants arrived today so went to the garden centre for some compost and planted them in tower pots and put them in the cold frame. Also came home with 100 onion sets which I will plant when I have decided where to put the new growhouse, if I get a new growhouse (undecided).

Also sowed some leeks in the propagator and took pity on a tomato sideshoot I had removed from one of the old Shirley plants on the windowsill, so I potted it up and put a plastic bag over it, and put it in the airing cupboard. No idea if it will grow, but I never could bear to throw anything away that looked useable. I am from Yorkshire after all!

[Dorothy rouse]

Made a Date and Walnut cake, and a steak and kidney pie.

[BertieFox]

"took pity on a tomato sideshoot I had removed from one of the old Shirley plants on the windowsill, so I potted it up and put a plastic bag over it" Pennllype

Tomato sideshoots will root so readily you really don't need to do that, just leave them open to the air, and give a bit of bottom heat if possible. Misting them with a hand sprayer would be better than plastic. In the dark and in a polybag your little shoot is far more likely to rot

Being a real miser, I always buy a single F1 hybrid plant for an early tomato in the market here and then take off the sideshoots, root them, and grow them on. For my one plant I usually end up with at least a dozen more, most of which start fruiting only a few weeks after the parent plant. It's a great money saving method.

[Noosner]

"took pity on a tomato sideshoot I had removed from one of the old Shirley plants on the windowsill, so I potted it up and put a plastic bag over it" Pennllype

Tomato sideshoots will root so readily you really don't need to do that, just leave them open to the air, and give a bit of bottom heat if possible. Misting them with a hand sprayer would be better than plastic. In the dark and in a polybag your little shoot is far more likely to rot

Being a real miser, I always buy a single F1 hybrid plant for an early tomato in the market here and then take off the sideshoots, root them, and grow them on. For my one plant I usually end up with at least a dozen more, most of which start fruiting only a few weeks after the parent plant. It's a great money saving method.

This is interesting, Bertie Fox! Does the tomato plant have to be an F1 hybrid to do this? What is your exact treatment of the sideshoots to make them root? Would much appreciate elaboration on this genius cunning money saving trick!!

[rustylady]

Rooting sideshoots works with any type of tomato Noosner. I just stand them in a glass of water until I can see roots forming, then pot them up.

[Dorothy rouse]

Did battle with the Alpines, gosh they had formed a lot of root, planted up about 10 into larger pots, until I ran of compost.

Took kitchen waste up to plot, and planted 1 white grape, along perimeter between mine and neighbouring plot, and 1 thornless blackberry in fruit cage. Both of these look 'dead', we'll see if they grow.

[Bigmallly]

Made a Fruitasicca Tunnel out of blue water pipe & debris netting......................22' x 8' x 8'...........got too dark to take pics, still need to put end pieces on so hopefully will post a pic tommorow

[Penellype]

Being a real miser, I always buy a single F1 hybrid plant for an early tomato in the market here and then take off the sideshoots, root them, and grow them on. For my one plant I usually end up with at least a dozen more, most of which start fruiting only a few weeks after the parent plant. It's a great money saving method.

Yes, I do that too - I usually root them in compost with a bag on top as I've had success with this before, but I'll try the method you suggest with the next one.

[AllInContainers]

Looked at the garden, thought about it, showed it my brother when he came round on the scrounge, read about it, looked at it again ... and came on here to talk gibberish about it

[veggiechicken]

Planted some seedling Rainbow radish in the GH border and sowed some more in modules. Nothing too strenuous since its Wednesday

[BertieFox]

Pricked on some chilli peppers and orange and yellow sweet peppers into modules. Also pricked asparagus seedlings grown from seed collected from my purple asparagus plants into modules ready to pot on into large pots in the spring and summer. I usually put the plants out in the second spring. Preparing the polytunnnel beds to plant out my seedling spring cabbages and turnips from modules, with some Pak Choi if there is space. As the weather is so mild at present I don't think it matters that the seedlings are relatively small as they should establish without getting frosted.

[Feral007]

Saved some seeds from a Jap Pumpkin that I bought out of the back of a truck. See even in a shocking growing year I can't help myself

[Noosner]

Rooting sideshoots works with any type of tomato Noosner. I just stand them in a glass of water until I can see roots forming, then pot them up.

Thanks for picking up on my question, RL. I am going to try your technique this year!

[Bigmallly]

Made a Fruitasicca Tunnel out of blue water pipe & debris netting......................22' x 8' x 8'...........got too dark to take pics, still need to put end pieces on so hopefully will post a pic tommorow

Did a tad more on the Fruitassica Tunnel..................